Gerrit Thomas Rietveld was a Dutch designer, architect, and craftsman. Born and raised in Utrecht, Rietveld was part of the De Stijl art movement and a key figure in neoplasticism in design and architecture, which he primarily practiced in his hometown.
Rietveld is often considered an artist with two natures: craftsman and architect. Among his most important works are the Schröder House in Utrecht (now a UNESCO World Heritage site), as well as the Red and Blue Chair, the Steltman Chair, and the Zig Zag Chair—icons in the history of design.
During his career, Rietveld designed numerous pieces of furniture and objects, most of which remained prototypes, with only a few produced in series.
Today, his most iconic pieces are produced by Cassina, Tecta, and Rietveld Originals. In 2023, the Crate Chair, a piece from the Dutch master’s archive, was reproduced thanks to a fortunate collaboration with HAY, reintroducing the simplicity and beauty of Rietveld’s objects to a wide audience
Gerrit Rietveld Furniture: Objects Still in Production
Here we list some of the furniture pieces by the Dutch master still production today, and where to find their original versions online.
Despite more than a century having passed since Rietveld’s first prototypes, the reissues of his furniture remain contemporary and relevant. Italian brand Cassina regularly offers new editions of the Utrecht armchair, while the Danes at HAY rediscovered the Crate series.
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RED AND BLUE CHAIR, CASSINA
The Red and Blue Chair, created by Rietveld in 1917, is one of the icons of the De Stijl art movement, emphasizing simplicity, abstraction, and primary colors. Characterized by its red, blue and yellow palette, Rietveld’s chair features a solid beech wood frame, while the seat and backrest are made of birch plywood with beech veneer. The chair’s design lacks ornamentation, reflecting the neoplastic principles of De Stijl in a functional, three-dimensional object. The Red and Blue Chair holds sculptural significance and artistic importance, making it the manifesto object of the De Stijl movement.
Pendant Lamp L40, TECTA
The Pendant Lamp L40, designed by Rietveld in 1922, consists of four light tubes that leverage the technological innovations of the time. The tubes are arranged vertically and horizontally, creating a suspended light sculpture, a three-dimensional work that echoes the neoplastic principles of which Rietveld is a master: essential lines and primary colors – the L40 is a piece that was absolutely innovative for its time. The principles expressed in this object inspired architect and designer Marcel Breuer and his tubular steel designs, as well as an entire generation of Bauhaus and modernist designers.
Table Lamp L25, TECTA
The Table Lamp L25 is a very rare object; in fact, it was only recently that Tecta (a German brand that has been reissuing modernist and Bauhaus design objects) began its mass production. Until now, the lamp had remained just a prototype by the famous Dutch designer, as is the case with many of his projects. The collaboration with Gerrit Rietveld’s heirs, Rietveld Originals, and Tecta has brought the L25 lamp back to light, a small gem that features pure geometric shapes.
CRATE LOUNGE CHAIR, RIETVELD ORIGINALS X HAY
The Crate Armchair is part of an indoor/outdoor furniture line resulting from a collaboration between Rietveld Originals and HAY—a famous Danish company known for offering quality design at affordable prices. The renowned Crate Armchair by Rietveld originated in the 1930s in his Utrecht studio and was made from scrap materials. HAY’s Crate line reinterprets the essential design of the Dutch master, incorporating simple yet high-quality materials and a color palette that gives the chair a fresh touch and makes it suitable for any environment. The Crate Armchair won the Monocle Design Awards 2023.
ZIG ZAG Chair, CASSINA
One of Rietveld’s objectives throughout his career was to create objects made from a single material, without seams. This project would incorporate the principles of essentiality from the De Stijl movement, and due to the difficulty of execution, it was like an ultimate puzzle, challenging to solve. Among the many prototypes Rietveld created to achieve this goal, the Zig Zag Chair is undoubtedly the most successful. Produced today by Cassina, it is an icon in the history of design, an object that has fascinated designers and artists for years to come (it is known that conceptual artist Donald Judd owned a set of four).
UTRECHT ARMCHAIR, CASSINA
The Utrecht Armchair is a true symbol of signature interior design, an icon of modernist design that remains highly relevant today. It is produced by Italian brand Cassina, and its composition of volumes and orthogonal lines creating the backrest and support makes it unique. Designed by Rietveld in 1935 for Metz & Co, a prominent Amsterdam store, the Utrecht Armchair combines geometric design with great comfort. Cassina produces both the armchair and the sofa in the Utrecht line, in various sizes and with a very interesting range of colors.
STELTMAN Chair, RIETVELD ORIGINALS
The Steltman Chair is one of Rietveld’s last projects, created in 1963 by the master of pure lines and forms at the age of 75. Made specifically for the store of a famous jeweler in The Hague, this chair embodies the essence of Rietveld’s poetic vision. It consists of a pair of mirrored chairs, crafted solely from wooden planks, with pure lines and orthogonal surfaces that create a strong sculptural effect. The Steltman Chair has a different shape from any viewpoint and is one of the most refined objects ever created by the Dutch designer.
